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UNTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. LYON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LOOK AND DETECTOR.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 25,428, dated September 13, 1859; Reissued November 8, 1859, No. 849'.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. LYoN, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a Combined Detector and Lock which I term a Seal-Lock; and I do hereby declare that the following is a. full, clear, and eXact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1, is side sectional view of my invention taken in the line w, w, Fig. 2. Fig. 2, is a front sectional view of ditto, taken in the line 2, 3/, Fig. 3. Fig. 3, is a side sectional view of ditto, taken in the line z, 2, Fig. 2. Fig. 4, is a side view of ditto showing the way in which the seals are adjusted. F ig. 5, is a detached sectional view of a seal. F ig. 6, is a view of the swage and nippers employed for adj usting the Seal to the lock and severing the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the sevarl figures.

This invention is designed as a safeguard against dishonest employees on rail-road freight trains and the like.

The object of the invention is to attach or combine with a lock a certain means which will disclose the opening of the lock even if done in a legitimate way.

The invention consists in combining with a padlock, or any lock provided with a shackle, a supplemental shackle so arranged as to be locked or fastened with a lead o'r other soft metal tube which must be severed in order to detach the lock, the severed tube indicating that the lock has been opened.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention I will proceed to describe it.

A, represents the case of the lock whichv may be of seIni-annular or any proper form. This case A, is formed of two parts a., precisely similar in. form and each provided with a shackle B, C, which are fitted on a common center pin c, that passes through both parts a, Z), of the case at one end and also serves as a means of connection as well as a pivot for the shackles.

The shackles B, C, may be of the usual bow or semi-circular form, and the outer end of each passes a short distance into its part of the case, a recess or opening being made in each part a, Z), for such purpose. The recess (Z, in the part a, of the case A,

bar f, the latter resting on the spring e. v

The spring c, has a tendency to keep the bar f, forced upward and the end of the shackle B, secured in the upper part of the recessd', see Fig. 3, in which it will be seen that the end of the shackle B, is provided with a dove-tail terminus g, which is the cause of the bar f, securing the shackle B. To release the shackle B, the bar f, is depressed by a key D, a recess and lip being at the inner side of bar f, the bit of the key when turned acting against the lip a, see Fig. 2.

In the recess h, of the part b, of the case A, a short bar z' is placed and allowed to work loosely. This bar however is prevented from passing entirely out of the recess h, by means of a lip 7a, on its lower end and a stop or projection 79', in the recess h, as shown clearly in F ig. 1. The upper part of the recess h, above the stop or project-ion k', is larger than the lower part 1n order that it may receive a lead or other soft metal tube E, the lower part of which is secured on a screw m, at the upper end of the bar The upper part of this tube E, is secured on a screw a, attached to the end of the shackle C.

The two parts a, Z), of the.case A, are connected together by screws o, 0, and as the recesses (Z, h, are formed in the inner and adjoining sides of the parts a, b, I place a sheet metal division plate z), between them, as shown in Fig. 2.

The tubes E, are cast in proper quantities and each overseer or superintendent is supplied with them as well as with the tool shown in Fig. 6, which is formed of two handles g, g, curved and connected by a fulcrum pin 7', and terminating in jaws 8, s, grooved transversely so as to form a swage to grasp and compress the tubes E, on the screws m, n. At the inner side of each handle g a cutter t, is attached by which the tubes are divided.

The device is used as follows: Then the lock is applied both shackles B, C, are passed through the staple and the shackle B; locked by throwing up the bar f, by the key D. Previous however to looking the shackle B, a tube E, is compressed and secured on the screws m, n, of the bar i, and shackle O.

The tube fitting loosely on the screws at first, but swaged or compressed tightly on them by the jaws 8, s, of the tool represented in F ig. 6, the bar being allowed a requisite movement in its recess h, to admit of its screw m, passing out of the part b, of the case A. VVhen the shackle B, is locked, it keeps the shackle C, down to the case by means of a shoulder lock 11,, u, as shown clearly in Fig. 2, a shoulder u, being on the inner side of each shackle and so disposed that they fit over each other or overlap.

It will be seen from the above description that in order to detach the lock, the tube E, must be divided as it cannot be stripped from the screws and this would of course indicate that the lock had been opened.

If the invention be used on the freght cars on rail roads, the depot masters will be provided with tubes and a swaging tool so as to open the locks and after the goods are removed apply new tubes E, and re-lock the locks. Postmasters might also be similarly provided and the dishonesty of mail contractors guarded against.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,

1. Combining with a padlock or any lock provided with a shackle, a supplemental shackle arranged with a lead or soft metal tube so as to be temporarily secured thereby to the lock case and admit-ting of being released only by the severing of said tube which thereby serves as a detector, substantially as described.

2. I further claim forming the lock case A, of two parts a, b, with a division plate p, between, whereby the' construction of the lock is rendered extremely simple and the invention enabled to be carried out or produced at a moderate cost.

JOHN H. LYON.

Wtnesses:

CHs. M. HUGHEs, MICH HUGHES. 

